The duo of Itachi and Minato stood facing and glaring at their intruder. Minato was in an aggressive fighting stance with his kunai drawn while Itachi just stood casually as he usually does like fighting some manic was an everyday problem.

The duo was caught off guard by the intruder but managed to avoid any damage. The loud explosion they heard was not an explosion, rather it was the impact of a projectile that had hit the spot where the duo once was, causing a cloud of smoke that silhouetted the attacker standing at the entrance of the cave the duo was in.

"Itachi, you alright?" Minato asked.

"Humph, just whom do you think your talking to?" he responded arrogantly. Minato merely smiled in return to that comment.

They stood there for a few moments and waited for the other to make a move. When they realized that no one was going on the aggressive, Minato called to the attacker and said, "What's your purpose here?"

"Don't screw with me, you know what you did!" The smoke had cleared to reveal a boy about age 18 with spikey black hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a necklace with a cross attached to it around his neck and was not wearing a shirt but was wearing black jeans and black boots. He had what appeared to be a fairy; dark blue colored; tattooed on his right breast. "I saw you carry my friend off after the scrap with that masked guy! Where is he?!" He demanded to know.

"Wha- do you mean Ichigo? Or Natsu? They both went out to get some supplies," he said while offering a kind smile and putting his hands in the air to show he wasn't a threat, "Lets drop the hostilities, okay? My name is-"

"Ice Make: Arrows!" he shouted as a blue symbol appeared directly in front of his fist that was palmed by his other hand. He thrusted is hand toward the duo and hundreds of ice arrows sprouted from his hands flew toward the duo. They both dashed to the side avoiding it with ease.

"Don't screw with me!" the attacker said clearly not impressed, "You think I'm stupid? There is no one nice enough is this world that would just lend a helping hand! All my other friends are…" he stopped clearly full of grief to say another word. A look of sympathy flashed across Minato's face.

"I swear," Minato pleaded, "Natsu is fine please, I promise, please just-"

"Ice make: Sword!" An ice sword had formed in his hand and he charged Minato. Once he was in striking distance he slashed vertically to which Minato intercepted it with his kunai. They began to trade blows, hacking, slashing, blocking and parrying. Though each attack had a great amount of force to it, Minato could clearly see that this boy had no intention to kill.

He than attempted to strike Minato, thrusting his sword but Minato intercepted it causing the two to go into a brief dead lock.

During the dead lock, the attacker cried, "Where is Natsu!"

Minato knew that there was no getting through to him. He remained silent and then forced the attacker of the dead lock forcing him a good ten feet back where he easily regained his balance. Minato knew that the only way he was going to convince the boy without hurting him was to hold him off until Natsu and Ichigo got back. A serious look replaced the casual one on his face. This cave is not an ideal hiding place, Minato thought, and I don't believe if I ask nicely to fight outside he'd agree. I'll have to force him out. Minato nodded agreement with himself.

"Oh so your finally going to get serious, huh?" the attacker said in a mocking tone, "Alright then. Bring it!" he said with a confident yet also arrogant smile.

They glared at each other for a few moments, than Minato made the first move. He lobbed the Kunai at him with great force, which the attacker deflected with ease sending it above his head.

"Tch, that all you-" he was interrupted at Minato's blinding speed in which he vanished from the spot he once stood and was now right in front of the boy with a Rasengan formed in his hand. He thrusted it toward his stomach, in response, the boy raised his sword to intercept the attack, the jutsu and sword collided, and almost instantly the sword was grinded away. Minato followed through with his Rasengan, colliding with his mid-stomach for a few moments, than, thrusted the Rasengan harder, sending him flying out of the cave and down the mountain/cliff their cave was on.

"That might have been a bit much," Minato said sympathetically.

Still in that casual pose, Itachi commented, "He's still conscious. You held back a great deal of power didn't you? It was enough to barely faze him."

"It is not my intention to hurt him. I'm going down there to hold him off until Natsu gets back," he said while heading toward the exit, then leaped down the mountain. The air collided with his face and his hair whipped around as he was free falling down the mountain. I have to make sure I don't hurt him, Minato thought, Last thing I want at the back of my mind is the death of a boy because I couldn't show restraint. When he made it to the ground, he was in a grassy plain region with a few trees here and there. He looked around for the boy but didn't see him anywhere in sight. He scratched the back of his head and thought, huh, did he take off?

"I'm right here!"

Minato turned around to see that the boy was in mid-air and was charging a spell.

"Ice Make: freeze lance!" he cried as several beam like ice with sharp ends erupted from the symbol in front of his hand and were all heading toward Minato. He dash left as one impacted the ground where he once stood while another circled around Minato toward his back and headed for his mid back region. He leaped in the air to avoid it as it swooped strait under him while three more rushed toward his chest from the front. The attacker, knowing that Minato was in mid air, believed that he had no way to avoid the attack. Time slowed as the lance like ice attack was just a few feet away from piercing Minato, but the look on Minato's face remained calm. Hah! The attacker thought, there's no way he can avoid this! Moments before it made it impact, Minato vanished in a instant and was back on the ground standing casually with his left hand on his hip about ten yards away from the attacker.

Time resumed its pace, and a shocked expression ran across the boys face. Still mid-air from the spell, the boy landed on the ground about ten yards away from Minato.

"Tell me, what was that! How'd you avoid my attack?! You were in mid-air, there was absolutely no you should've been able to avoid that!"

Casually, he responded while retrieving his kunai, which was stuck in the ground, next to his feet, "The only thing I will tell you is that I am not your enemy and that Natsu is unharmed. Please believe me…" he pleaded.

"You lie!"

Minato responded only with silence as stared seriously and somewhat sympathetically at the boy; which only agitated him more.

"I'll get you! I swear! Ice Make cannon!" He cried as a giant Ice Cannon formed around his shoulder. Minato's face lit up with surprise at the attack. It blasted an ice block at him, to which Minato simply dashed to the side to avoid, just a moment after a shadow appeared over him, he looked up and saw a giant ice pillar falling from the sky heading strait for him. An expression of worry appeared on his face as he formed a Rasengan and collided it against the pillar of ice. The air around the area began to whip around violently as the two attacks collided. Eventually, the pillar of ice broke and before Minato had time to regain his balance, the boy was coming in for a low attack with a sword of ice. But, Minato was too fast as he parried it with his Kunai. He began to hack and slash while Minato Parried, blocked, dogged, and weaved. As he came in for a horizontal strike, Minato gracefully dodging the by flipping backwards.

"Damn it! Ice Make: Freeze Lancer!" Again the blue magic symbol appeared around his hands, and then thrusted them forward shooting out twice as many beam like lances. Minato vigorously dashed left, right, forward, and in other directions as they hit the ground with tremendous force in an attempt to hit Minato, causing good-sized holes and indents in to the ground. Dust and smoke was everywhere as the barrage of ice lances were forcefully and continually shoot out from the attacker who at this point was full of rage, desperation, and agitation at the fact that he could not find his friend.

The barrage of lances had finally stopped but the boy far from being done.

"Ice Make: Geyser"

A ice geyser sprouted from the ground in an attempt to hit Minato but he dashed away from the spot but, just a moment later, the attacker was just a few feet away from Minato with a fairly big sized scythe made out of ice, holding it with both hand, swung it Minato's direction. He intercepted it with his kunai and the two clashed in a dead lock for a moment. The attacker pushed and Minato off forcing him out of the deadlock than came in close to him for a horizontal swing with his scythe. Minato jumped in the air over the boy placing his hand on the boys shoulder as he gracefully passed over. When he landed the boy twisted the upper half of his body while swinging the scythe, which Minato blocked with his kunai.

The boy turned toward him and with great aggression began to hack and slash to which Minato dogged, parried and blocked, and was having a considerable amount of trouble. Damn, Minato thought having just avoided one of his blows, this kid is really something else. He's definitely no easy opponent. He finished thinking while colliding his kunai with the scythe once again. The boy began to swing faster and more aggressive as the time passed and Minato was on the ropes. The boy slashed, and slashed but just could not come into contact with Minato. Time slowed as the boy attempted to bring his scythe down vertically. Minato knew what he had to do. There was no longer a choice. The boy was just to rage filled to see reason. He had to attack with a much stronger Rasengan that would hopefully not kill him. Just enough to wound him so he was no longer a threat. The scythe was slowly getting closer as Minato processed his plan. As much as it pained him to do it, he knew he had no choice.

Moments before the scythe made contact, he had vanished from the spot, which he once was and was now mid-air, above to boy, with a Rasengan formed. Time still at a slow pace, the boys face lit up with surprise and fear knowing that this attack was going to end him and there was absolutely nothing he could do that was going to prevent it.

"I'm sorry," Minato whispered sympathetically as the pace of time was still at a crawl.

He thrusted the Rasengan toward his mid-back. Time was still moving slow, as the Rasengan was driving toward him.

Three seconds to impact.

"I'm sorry," Minato said again with a tear falling down his cheek.

Two seconds.

The attacker closed his eyes, as he knew that this attack would be the one to seal his fate.

One second.

"Hey! I'm back!" Natsu Barked nostalgically with Ichigo following not to far behind.

The Rasengan disappeared and the boy's face lit up with excitement while Minato's expression changed from one to relief. Then realizing that he was hanging in mid-air right above the boy, let out a slight shriek collided is body with the boy's sending them both to the ground. They both sat up slowly. Minato began to rub his head, which was soar from the collision and grew stared silently at Natsu.

"Natsu…"

"Hmm? That you Grey?" Natsu asked.

He turned to look at Minato with an apologetic look as to say, "I am so sorry." Minato responded with a kind smile and gave him a thumb up to him. Grey stood up and walked toward Natsu than stopped when he was directly a few feet in front of him.

With a curious look, Natsu asked, "What's wrong Grey?"

"Natsu," he said with a very serious expression, "Lucy is on the verge of death."

(Hey there boy and Girls! Hope your enjoying the story so far! I want to thank those who have left reviews and follows/favorites. Also, I want to add a character that one of you created! If you want a your character to be in the story PM me with appearance, personality, weapons/weapons, etc. I only have one spot and I'll choose the most unique character I find! There is a 3-day limit as that is when I plan to write the next chapter. Thank you and have yourself a beautiful rest of your day/night; whenever you're reading this!)